BEIJING — China's top anti-graft authority has asked disciplinary and supervisory bodies at all levels to keep a close eye on waste of food among Party and government officials and work to stop it.

Efforts to practice thrift and end food waste are an important part of the campaign to address the problems of formalities for formalities' sake, bureaucratism, hedonism, and extravagance, according to a circular issued by the Communist Party of China Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission, which was made public on Aug 28.

Leading Party and government agencies as well as officials are the major targets of the campaign, the circular said, asking anti-graft authorities to strengthen routine supervision.

It also called for efforts to make full use of public reporting platforms to handle relevant public tip-offs in a timely manner.

Attention should be paid to the problems of extravagance and waste of food at official receptions and other publicly-funded activities and supervisory bodies should step up efforts to identify problems in the early stages and take remedial measures, the document said.

The circular also sought strict accountability and punishments for those violating frugality rules. In localities and departments where such problems were found to be serious, leading officials should also be held accountable.

It further stressed that the enforcement of thrift should be long-term, noting that there should be detailed rules in this regard for organizing official receptions and for operations of canteens and catering services in Party and government agencies and State-owned enterprises.